MFSM Artists in the News: Joshua Nelson

Joshua Nelson will be in Kalamazoo for a performance presented Nov. 10 by the Michigan Festival of Sacred Music. Recently his work caught the attention of Time Magazine, which named 10 stars of the new Jewish music that you will want to learn more about.

Time Magazine had this to say:

The enduring popularity of Christian rock is hardly news: for years now, churches in the U.S. and elsewhere have been attracting worshippers with music performed in all kinds of non-liturgical forms, from rap to metal. Less well known, however, is the spread of new styles of Jewish religious music equally as varied. Whether they play folk-rock or gospel—yes, gospel—several artists have started mixing up the sounds of the synagogue.

(One of those is Nelson…)

Nelson, who was influenced by Mahalia Jackson, goes by the nickname “the prince of kosher gospel.” He’s given credit for the idea of combining two parts of his own heritage, African-American and Jewish, and creating a new style that combines Jewish meaning and gospel sounds.

Read the full story and see video of Nelson at the the Time magazine site here.

Nelson’s visit to the Congregation of Moses 2501 Stadium Dr. Kalamazoo is co-sponsored by The Jewish Federation of Kalamazoo and Southwest Michigan with support, in part, from the Ravitz Foundation.